Wow! A whole new meaning to "Horse-Power" - so I'm off to warn Tom Pearce - Kind Regards June & Roy (SANHS Member No 1066) http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm -----Original Message----- From: norman.lee1 [mailto:norman.lee1@virgin.net] Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 1:30 PM To: OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Re: Horsemeat We love our horses and that's why. Now a days, they're more like domestic pets rather than work animals. They always were rather special, until the 19th century that is. Before this they were kept mainly for riding and were the 17/18th century equivalent of the Ferari or Porsche, always valued most highly on probate inventories. During this time, animals used for draft began to change from the ox to the horse and you see that change in the inventories. There began to be far more horses; so that, when you get to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, horses for draft are more and more common and are used for draft in many places. Many of these draft animals were badly treated and there were charities set up to get legislation to prevent cruelty to these creatures and to provide inspection and retirement homes for them - hence, to this day, you get sancturies for retired pit ponies and donkey santuries. I can't remember anyone ever eating a donkey or mule but they, too, must have been and maybe still are, badly treated in some places. Now that the motor vehicle has fully taken the place of the horse for virtually all purposes, the only role left, apart from the ceremonial and police use, is closer to that of the domestic pet - children, show jumping etc., hunting of various sorts (controversial at the moment). To see a horse pulling a cart of any sort in the street is a curiosity to be marvelled at. There are still driving contests though - the Duke of Edinburgh was/is an expert and I have a feeling it may be an Olympic sport. However, on the mainland of Europe, traditions are different and they seem to prize horseflesh. When my children were little and had a pony, there was a lot of horse-rustling for selling to continent. I have a feeling that there still is some of this going on but the horse world has attempted to combate this in various ways. We had a little pony who was very broad with a large barrelled chest and we worried about him because he looked fat, even if at the end of March, he was starving or had a dose of worms. At the end of March, many horses, ponies are thin if they are kept outside and not stable-kept and often suffer with worms. This is the time when the worming medicine comes out. After that, the better weather and the new grass allows their food to take full affect and go into producing a bit of flesh/fat on their bones. So - beware the meat man! There must be money to be made from horseflesh - the dead sort! Apologies to all who know all about the above, already. Another interesting difference in the use of words to describe food crops is that of calling grain 'corn'. This does not always mean wheat and it depends in which part of the country you are which grain corn refers to. I have even heard it used in relation to horse nuts (a processed food for horses). Audrey (who no longer keeps a horse as children are all grown up and have flown the nest). ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Atherton" <elizabeth.atherton@tesco.net> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 11:33 AM Subject: [OEL] Re: Horsemeat > In more modern times, it is interesting to see how the selling of > actual horseflesh to humans is disguised in England. A Belgian friend > took me to a > small Belgian restaurant in London & when I got up to go to the Ladies > he said, "Look at the inscription on that picture" And sure enough, > where you > expected to see "King of the Belgians" it said "This establishment is > licensed for the sale of horsemeat " > .. Elizabeth Atherton > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== OLD-ENGLISH Web Page http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/